Pets moving around freely in a vehicle are a safety hazard to themselves and to the passengers in the vehicle. For instance, if the pet is in the back seat of a vehicle, and the driver of the vehicle “slams on” the brakes, the pet could launch forward into the front seats and cause injury to the pet and/or to the driver. Moreover, if the pet climbs freely into the front seats of the vehicle, the pet will likely distract the driver and possibly cause an accident.
It is well known to install a pet barrier within a vehicle to separate two areas in a vehicle, such as a front row of seats and a back row of seats, or a back row of seats and a cargo area. In this manner, the animal can be transported in the vehicle without allowing the animal to climb freely between the two areas.
Many pet barriers are installed in a vehicle interior such that they extend from the floor to the ceiling of the vehicle to partition the animal transport area from the remainder of the vehicle. These pet barriers typically include spring-loaded elements that engage the floor and ceiling of the vehicle interior to secure the pet barrier therebetween. Thus, to properly secure the pet barrier between the floor and the ceiling, the pet barrier must be positioned substantially perpendicular between the floor and the ceiling. Moreover, the pet barrier is not moveable unless the spring-loaded elements are disengaged with the ceiling and floor and moved to another position.
Having a fixed pet barrier can cause problems when the driver or passenger needs to tilt or recline the seat or move the seat forward or backward. Thus, it is desired to have a pet barrier that suitably partitions a portion of a vehicle interior without interfering with the movement of the vehicle seats.
A further problem occurs when using a pet barrier made from tubing or other material that defines openings in the barrier. The pet can protrude his paws, head, etc., through the openings, which can cause disturbance to the driver of the vehicle and can cause harm to the pet. Thus, it is further desired to have an optional cover assembly for use with pet barriers having openings therein.